


shades of purple, out of red and blue

by washingmachineheart



Category: BoBoiBoy (Cartoon)
Genre: Adolescent Sexuality, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - High School, Anonymity, Coming Out, Domestic, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Pining, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Burn, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, implied lesbian yaya, implied ramenzo, kinda no powers cause its just not a role for this fic lmao, like very slow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:01:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25820011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/washingmachineheart/pseuds/washingmachineheart
Summary: Boboiboy has a crush on Fang. Fang still has things he needs to work out. Old friends pop up, and other slight complications ensue.Or; the one where self-discovery and acceptance becomes the protagonist.
Relationships: BoBoiBoy/Fang, BoiFang - Relationship, Fang/Boboiboy
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	shades of purple, out of red and blue

**Author's Note:**

> this fic was inspired by a few of my friends art and work; 
> 
> → [ kamy's trans!kaizo comic](https://www.instagram.com/p/B_hNjQDBqNH/)  
> →[ lorie's let me hold your hands whenever](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24976723/chapters/60466261)
> 
> i love you all xx

_"What kind of girls do you like?"_

The question, though simple, suddenly seemed like the essay questions at the back of a social studies exam: packed, and demanded a detailed answer. Fang sighed, phone held up with his right arm outstretched and the blue light shining into his crimson eyes. 

It had been Gopal's idea to set up a CuriousCattus - he never quite saw the hype of it, but it was popular and the boy was just nosey. Although Fang did like the attention he got from people… prodding into his business under anonymity just didn't sit all that right. 

Fang's first thought was that it could just be a bot. Given the nature of it - the way it opened up with a capital 'W', how grammatically correct and almost flat the question was. But he had used the platform before because everyone else seemed to be into it and often demanded to be asked things. He had sent out bot-generated questions before. And they were often along the lines of 'What's your favourite movie?' or 'What do you do in your free time?'

Essentially: bots would never think to ask people about their preferences in a partner. Let alone what _kind_. 

Five minutes have passed, and he almost can't believe how hesitant he is in answering it. His fingers, constantly hovering over the keyboard and backspace suddenly his best friend. What was the issue, anyway? Girls were… fine. He had never really thought about it. Was it that important? 

**_I don't mind. As long as you're nice, and I guess if I find we have something going on. What's not to like? Though if you don't like carrot donuts I suppose you wouldn't need to waste your time._ **

Yup. That seemed like a vague enough and palatable answer. 

___________

"Any juicy questions yet?" 

Gopal, of course, immediately jumps on that wagon the moment class has been dismissed, amongst the heyday of high schoolers trying to pack up as quickly as possible. Fang rolls his eyes, as he fastens his bag onto his chest. 

"It's only been a day, man," he grunts, not bothering to zip up his pencil case. The pens bled out and ruined it anyway, leaving a messy tie-dye like pattern on the cotton. "It's just bots trying to fill up my inbox. All the questions are kind of boring." 

"For real? I thought you'd immediately get confessions once you opened one up. Or drama. Fun stuff." There's a glimmer in his eye as Gopal says all this, which concerns him just the tiniest bit. 

"Now I'm starting to think you're just exploiting me for gossip." 

"Of course he is," Boboiboy chimes, which puts a grin to Fang's face. "It's the same person who sold your pictures to girls in fifth grade." 

"Oh my _god_ , I forgot all about that." They both snorted at the memory, given how middle school had such an odd period. The sheer hate they had for each other, which somehow blossomed to one of the better friendships Fang had in his life. 

It was bittersweet, that somehow life had enabled that turning point. He couldn't imagine a life where he wasn't friends with both of them. 

"Come on! I thought we left that behind," Gopal grumbled. 

"We did," Boboiboy chuckled. "It's just funny." 

"We were friends longer! You knew about it!" 

"Yeah, and yet you tried to sell me some. And I said no, not even because I hated Fang. Your capitalistic methods are just _weird_." 

"And I'm nice enough not to sue you for that. Come on, let's go." The three had their bags packed, and ready to set out of school for the day. Thank god for that. Papa's math lessons were beginning to leave a mental scar because of all the terrible jokes. 

"Oh, and hey… Speaking of girls," Fang said, as they walked out of class and into the outside world. "I did get a weird question yesterday." 

"What is it?" Gopal asked, already interested. Probably at the word 'girls' more than anything. 

"Someone asked what kind of girls I like." 

" _Ooooooooooohhhhh_." 

"What did you answer?" Boboiboy asked, though he suddenly seemed slightly uncomfortable the moment he had brought it up. His smile had dissipated slightly, and he was toying with his fingers like he was nervous. 

"Honestly, I don't even know if I have a type at all. I just said if we get along, we get along. It doesn't matter all that much to me." 

"The blanket statement, huh. Your fans are going to go crazy over that." Gopal snickered, to which Fang slugged him on the arm. "I do not have fans." 

"Okay, Mr Popular. You'd better give me intel if this keeps up. Maybe this girl is testing the waters." 

Fang winced. "That's a disgusting way to put it." 

"I'm serious!" Gopal exclaimed, arms almost flailing in his classic melodramatic way. "She probably wants to see what you like before, you know." He winked, putting his palms on his cheeks like a shy girl in a bad rom-com. 

"Oh, Fang!" he cried, in a sickening high pitched voice. Fang could only roll his eyes for his best friend was not fit for the drama club. Gopal suddenly bowed, blocking their path as they took a step out the school gate. His arms outstretched, fingers holding an invisible letter. "Please go out with me!" 

Boboiboy, who had been rather silent throughout this discussion, made a gagging sound. Which hit the nail on his feelings perfectly.

"I think it's a bot," Fang declared, though he knew he had thought otherwise before he answered it. "It feels kinda calculated. Plus it's worded so formally." 

"Come on. You know bots usually generate questions like 'what's your favourite colour." _Yikes_. Perhaps that was basic information at this rate. 

"I dunno. What do you think, B?" Fang asked the boy in the orange cap, who blinked in surprise as if to say _me?_

"Oh, uh. I don't know either. I'm not really into this kind of stuff, so." His face suddenly went pink, as if embarrassed to even think about it. 

"What do you mean?" Gopal prodded. Sheesh. As much as he loved his friend he could admit that he could be a handful if unsupervised. "Like, girls?" 

"No! No, what? Not girls. Who said anything about girls?" Boboiboy immediately started babbling, like the word 'girls' had taken him off guard. "Not that I don't like girls. I meant like… types. And dating stuff. You know." The pink was slowly evolving into red, which reached the tips of his ears. Fang chuckled. It was quite adorable how seemingly innocent Boboiboy was. 

"That's fine. You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Fang replied, to which the boy smiled appreciatively. "Gopal's just being a dickwad." 

"So classic Gopal behaviour." 

"Exactly." 

Gopal grumbled, folding his arms into his chest to sulk at the sudden ganging up. "I wanna go home now." 

"Hey, we promised Ying and Yaya we'd meet them at Tok Aba's, remember? If you bail again Yaya's gonna kick your ass. Literally," Boboiboy reminded, to which Gopal simply deflated in defeat. 

"All my friends are bullies," he sighed, as he trudged on the cement pathway with his two best friends. 

___________

The counter of the little cafe in the middle of the park was already occupied by a few customers. Fang had immediately recognized that it was Yaya and Ying - though it appeared that they were already deep in conversation with an added person. 

As they approached the cafe, Yaya swivelled around, almost sensing their presence. "Hey, guys!" She greeted, giving a little wave. 

The mysterious person stopped talking to Ying, turning themself around with them. Fang's jaw dropped in surprise. 

"Tina?!" He exclaimed. 

The raven-haired mystique, gasped. "No _way!_ " Immediately she leapt up from her seat and engulfed him in an embrace, leaving everyone - himself included - open-mouthed.

"Tina?" Ying inquired, perplexed. "I thought your name was Athena." 

"It is," she beamed. "This boy, however," allowing herself a boop on his unfortunately oily nose, "has called me that since kindergarten." 

Fang felt himself blush. "I was way behind on pronunciation." 

Athena giggled and gave him a nudge. "I was so mad! I kept telling you - ATHE-na! ATHE-na! But you were all, 'A-tina,' no matter how hard I tried." She sighed, though it didn't seem like she was exasperated in the slightest. 

"So you're…" Boboiboy trailed off, still trying to process everything that had just unfolded - not even bothering to hide the confusion on his face. 

"Childhood friends," Fang finished, beaming himself. How long had it been? "What the heck are you doing on Earth?" He asked, not even bothering to gloss over the formalities and small talk. 

Athena smirked and gave a little coy shrug. "Just visiting." 

"Come on. For real, Tina. What brings you here?" 

She let out a mischievous tch. "Just visiting. Honest. If you could get a getaway to Earth, why can't I?" 

Fang scoffed. "Wasn't always like that." 

"Does it matter?" She chirruped, already moving past it. "I've already met your friends here and they're the cutest." Yaya smiled at the comment, whereas Ying blushed slightly. "And who's this!" Gesturing at the boys, who jumped slightly at being acknowledged. 

"Uh, I'm Boboiboy," the orange-capped boy held out a tentative hand for her to shake, which she accepted aggressively. He seemed slightly thrown off at the imbalance of energy reciprocated, but flashed a polite smile nonetheless. "Gopal," the other simply stated, only waving slightly. 

"Lovely!" She exclaimed, the enthusiasm a contagious disease. 

"Anyway," Ying chimed in, almost hesitant to break up the welcome party. "We're supposed to start drafting our debate points." 

"Gosh of course! I'm so sorry if I caused you any trouble," Athena said, getting off her chair. "I'll leave you all to it. Fang, let's catch up then!" 

"Oh, uh…" It was true he didn't have to be present for the discussion. Thankfully his name hadn't been drawn the day the class picked the speakers, and somehow everyone else had managed to be on the same team by pure coincidence. But he had just wanted to do homework while they were at it. And maybe help if needed. 

"You can go on ahead, Fang," Boboiboy said, in an almost flat tone. His face was suddenly downcast like he'd just been given disappointing news. 

"Are you sure?" Fang asked, concerned. 

"Yeah, I'll make you both drinks if you want."

Athena was already fishing her pockets for her wallet when the boy raised a hand to stop her. "On the house. A friend of Fang's is a friend of ours." She squealed, to which Fang mouthed a thank you to him. He made a mental note to leave a tip for him and the other employees, namely Tok Aba and Ochobot. 

___________

Boboiboy had to admit that - seeing Fang with a supposed childhood friend was making him feel slightly…. negative. Churns of what felt like jealousy, confusion. The entire lot. It was uncharacteristic, immature even. 

And yet they were there, and he hated it. 

Athena getting to run up to him and hug him like it was no big deal. The group had understood Fang as someone who didn't like physical affection - and there she was! _Hugging_ him! 

"Boboiboy? What do you think?" 

He blinked, and his friends suddenly appeared into his peripheral vision. Yaya looked at him with concerned eyes, Ying and Gopal with more puzzled expressions. He quickly scanned the notepad that Yaya had been writing on, which was thankfully in a mind map format. 

"Yeah, these are good," he managed, a little surprised he meant it. The points were looking good so far. The motion was "Should schools in Pulau Rintis be incorporating sex and relationships education as part of health curriculums?" and being on the proposition was almost a walk in the park. 

_Phew._ At least he evaded one thing today. Yaya slugging him off was not what he needed. 

"Great!" She beamed, and the others nodded. 

"Now we just need to pick our order of speakers," Ying suggested. 

"I think I should go first," Yaya said, and the rest was static. His eyes quickly shifted to Fang and Athena, sitting amongst the tables that were placed in the field space next to the bar. 

Athena was a rather vibrant little thing, despite the way she looked. Completely ebony hair, that reached just a few inches below her shoulders. Her eyes weren't as fiery red as Fang's, but still as piercing nonetheless. It seemed to be a common genetic that his home planet seemed to have, now that he was noticing it. Her lips were painted purple, studs in her nose and what looked like decorative safety pins dangling from her left ear. 

Her clothes were just as edgy as Fang's, if not edgier. An equally black t-shirt with an alien band he couldn't recognise, with checkered sleeves underneath. Tucked into a belt, paired with faded jeans. She had a choker wrapped around her neck, with a silver heart in the middle. 

More importantly, her nails - which were eccentrically painted yellow and blue, for whatever reason - were wrapped around Fang's gloved hand. 

And he was letting it happen. 

Boboiboy had no idea what they were talking about, given the distance made it impossible to accurately dissect their conversation. But they seemed to be having fun, with Athena laughing and Fang's smile unwavering throughout. 

The purple-haired boy wasn't his. He would never be, even though sometimes the phrase 'best friend' made his stomach lurch and his chest stuffed with disappointment. He knew that perfectly. 

But for some reason it still hurt, seeing him with someone else. Especially when that someone just so happened to be his longtime friend, which Fang seemed happy to be seen again. Not to mention she just seemed completely like his… 

... _type_.

That was it, wasn't it? 

"Anyway, Boboiboy. You'll be the last speaker. Is that alright?" 

Snap. Reality was harsh, but group projects were harsher. 

"Um, sure." 

Gopal raised an eyebrow. "Really? You're okay with that?" 

"Yeah? Unless you want to switch." 

The boy simply whistled, which already rubbed Boboiboy slightly off. But he wasn't going to question it. He'd been so far away for most of the discussion that he might as well not have been there. The smart thing to do was to just say yes. 

"Nah. Thanks in advance, buddy. I like being in the middle." Gopal winked, and Boboiboy only furrowed his eyebrows. 

"I guess we're done for the day!" Ying sighed, as she stretched her arms out. "And I was just getting thirsty." 

Boboiboy smirked, as he got off his chair and headed behind the counter instead of in front of it. "Alright, whaddya want." The shorter girl simply giggled. 

He only had his back turned, for what felt like a couple of seconds when a voice rang out. 

"Hel- _lo_ everyone!" It was Athena, returning with a rather merry Fang. She had a hand wrapped around Fang's arm. 

"Athena!" Ying and Yaya cheered. 

"Are you guys done with your debate discussion?" Fang asked. 

"Pretty much," Gopal answered. "Boboiboy was just about to make something for Ying. And uh, I'll have whatever she's having," he added, which made him roll his eyes. 

"Oh!" Athena suddenly let go of the purple-haired boy and made a quick dash to the table they had been sitting at. "Here," she said, as she placed the mug he had prepared the hot chocolate in. There was a perfect lipstick stain on the mouth of the mug, which made his skin crawl slightly. 

"Thank you," Boboiboy said as he snatched the cup up from the counter to be washed. 

"Fang and I were just talking about old times. Does anyone want some humiliating stories?" 

"Tina…" 

As it turned out, everyone did in fact, want humiliating stories. 

___________

" _So you don't have a type?"_

If Fang was being honest with himself, he didn't exactly want to head over to CuriousCattus after the first day. Social media was already addictive, he didn't need another thing to add to the list of mental stresses. But he had forgotten to take it off his profile, and before he knew it he had clicked the link and found his inbox wasn't empty. 

This time there were confessions. Some direct: **i've always had a crush on you since you enrolled in g5** (bold, but meaningless given anonymity also meant he could choose not to pursue it). Some were cheesy compliments; **i think ur rly cute :(** (sweet, but it wasn't like he intended for inciting sadness with his looks) or dumber things like **too much red carrot donuts can cause diabetes** (offensive, but he wasn't inclined on retaliating). 

For whatever reason, that was the message that stuck out like a sore thumb. It started as a seemingly formal question, almost easily ignored. But now there was a follow-up. They were curious, and he had to commend them on getting his attention. 

His mind shifted to Athena. She had grown since their days in kindergarten, what was once a chubby little kid had blossomed into a pretty young woman. 

_Pretty_. 

Athena was really pretty. She was beautiful. Fang could wholeheartedly admit that. His younger self had had a rather innocent crush on Tina, to a point where he had proposed to her right in class. 

_"No!" she had yelled, her face red and puffy with embarrassment. "I want to marry Sara, not you! I don't want to marry you because you call me Tina!"_ He remembered tearing up, and the ordeal ended with her hugging him because she felt bad that she had raised her voice. 

He smirked at the memory. The things he would give to be as simple-minded as that. 

But the fact was - he liked pretty girls. He's had his fair share of gawking at women on TV, stunning human actresses in films. Like Megan Fox from Transformers. That wasn't something he was going to deny. 

Yeah, he thought. I suppose I do like girls. That wasn't a question that could be left unanswered. 

But a _type_? 

Did he have to boil his preferences down to a science? He was sixteen, for heaven's sake. Even when Kaizo gave him the choice to pick a movie on Sundays, there were times where he just let the algorithm do it for him. Like he had impressed before - let alone a partner. 

Perhaps the anon was being a tad too nosey. 

**_Nope_** , he typed. And pressed enter before any internal objections could interrupt. 

His mind suddenly shifted to Boboiboy, who appeared to be uncomfortable with Tina around. He had seen the way the capped boy had raised an eyebrow when she handed her cup over, how he went ghost when they had talked about types and girls. 

_Maybe Boboiboy doesn't like girls?_

It's an unsolicited thought, which shocks him. Fang genuinely didn't want to concern himself with that part of his best friend's life. It was his business and his alone. If he had wanted to be open about it he would accept it nonetheless, because they were friends. 

But… 

His mind went back to Athena, who had held his hand when they were at the table. But that was just Athena being herself. She'd always been that way, giving everyone hugs and holding hands with anyone if they needed or wanted. She was like a teddy-bear, bursting at the seams with love. And though he was pretty awkward with physical affection it was somehow always okay when it was her. Perhaps it was just the familiarity. 

An image of a smiling Boboiboy suddenly flashed into his mind, across a table and holding his hand. He felt his cheeks become warm, a nice stirring in his chest at the thought of going on a date with him. 

_Oh no._

Nope, he thinks, as he gives his cheeks a light slap. That was weird. 

Boboiboy and him on a date. 

Nah. 

But he would make sure to ask what was up anyway, Fang reminded himself as he powered down his phone and placed it on his pillow next to him. He didn't like seeing him so reserved and uncomfortable. The last thing he wanted was for him to be tense around him. No one wanted a repeat of fifth grade. 

_________

Athena seemed to be everywhere now, her presence a lingering shadow joined at the hip with Fang. 

Boboiboy noticed she was beginning to hang around him a lot, often taking him by surprise by waiting for him out the school gate. Walks back to the park now had an extra person, which threw off the regular dynamic. At least that was what it felt like to him. 

Even Fang's usual admirers were beginning to take notice of her and decreased their advances. Whether it was out of respect that he could potentially be dating someone or plotting new ways to get his attention he couldn't tell. 

Gopal seemed to like her enough, often willingly engaging in conversation with her. It took a little more for him to be comfortable with her, but after a few weeks of her presence, it appeared he had adjusted. 

Perhaps it was the anxiety of the debate coming up soon. Or just the general stress of being a high-schooler. But Boboiboy had to admit it was aggravating, having her around. 

It was another one of those afternoons, where she had trailed them back to the shop. This time they were sitting in the pavilions near the shop because Tok Aba had let him take some time off to prepare for the debate. 

Boboiboy held his notes in his hand and inhaled. 

It was difficult enough having to be the last speaker because the concluding points were going to be what their stance would go out with. It needed to be delivered well, well enough that he would also have the strength to counter any rebuttals from the opposition. Let alone having Ying and Yaya on a team, if on the same side demanded to win at all costs. 

He had been glossing over his cue cards, preparing to ask if the other three would be willing to hear him out on his practice speech when Gopal nudged his shoulder. 

"Check it! Fang's finally getting juicer stuff in his inbox." 

Fang held up his phone, and there was the said 'juicy stuff'. Though he couldn't see properly with the sun shining onto the screen. 

"Uh, I can't see. Maybe turn up the brightness a bit." 

"Oh, sorry." He was about to flick the screen when Athena spoke up. 

"I can just read them out for you if you like," she suggested, to which Fang simply handed her the phone. 

As soon as the device was in her hand he watched as her painted nails refresh the page with a defiant swipe. "Earth technology is so cute," she commented. 

"Read em, read em!" Gopal said. 

"O _-kay_ , I'm just trying to see which ones are… oh!" Her eyes suddenly widened in surprise. 

"What's up?" Fang asked. 

"You… just got a new one," she said, her tone getting a tad bit hesitant. 

"Just read it out," Fang replied nonchalantly. 

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. The stuff I get is kinda lame anyway." 

"Well, okay." She took a deep breath, and read it. " _What's your sexuality?"_

A silence fell over the four, the question lingering in the air. No one at the table had expected that, with absolute certainty. 

Fang coughed, an attempt to break the ice. "Looks like someone’s out to get my birth records." 

"What do you mean?" Boboiboy asked. 

"I've been getting weirdly specific questions like that. It started with the 'what kind of girls do you like', remember?"

"Sort of." Boboiboy remembered perfectly. 

"I thought it'd stop when I answered it, but then I got a follow-up." 

Gopal gasped. "What did they ask?" 

Athena scrolled down the page quickly. " _So you don't have a type?"_ she recited, her mouth falling into an 'o' shape after she finished. 

"Yup." 

"Dang!" Gopal exclaimed, snapping his fingers - clearly excited. "Someone's got you on their radar." 

Fang shrugged, though it seemed he was slightly perturbed by the shift in the questions being given to him. There was a nervousness in his expression that Boboiboy couldn't explain. 

"I don't know. I think it's getting a little weird." 

"They do seem invasive," Athena commented, squeezing his wrist for what looked like reassurance. "Are you going to answer?" 

He took his phone back and locked it before placing it back into his pocket. "Maybe later." 

"Give the people what they want, man. How hard can it be to answer that question?" Gopal said, clearly thriving off of it somehow. 

_How hard can it be?_

Those words rang loudly in Boboiboy's head. It was hard not to take it personally, given he could understand why it could be hard to answer such a question. 

Because a few months ago - putting aside years of denial - he had been grappling with it himself, internalizing the fact that there was a possibility he wasn't straight. It was one thing to realise he liked boys, and another to realise he had strong feelings to someone that was his best friend. 

And the worst part was that he felt _alone_. 

It wasn't even the fear of being rejected that haunted him, though it was a factor. He was always sort of worried what Tok Aba might think, given these were things they didn't talk about. For some reason, externalising that reality was scary. Because there was a chance someone might have an opinion on it, there was a chance someone could take advantage of it. 

And for now, he just didn't want that - which he resented himself for. It felt cowardly. 

"Boboiboy? Are you okay?" Athena asked, and he looked up. Her red eyes were filled with genuine concern, and it almost irritated him. 

"Yeah," he replied, though he couldn't keep the hostility out of that singular word. 

"Whoa," Gopal said, clearly catching onto something. "Are you sure?" 

"Yup. I'm just stressed out, that's all." His cue cards were getting more wrinkled the longer they stayed in his palms. He really couldn't take any more of this. He got up and shoved the cards into his jacket pocket. 

"I'm gonna help my grandfather. You guys can stay if you want." 

Fang only raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything. 

"Well… okay! Have fun working!" Athena offered, while Gopal gave him a thumbs up. "We can practice our speeches tomorrow with Ying and Yaya. We still have time, buddy." 

Yeah, that was a relief. But he only shrugged, and away to work he went. 

___________

Dinner with Kaizo wasn't exactly what one would refer to as lively. 

Though Fang could hardly blame him. It was just the nature of his personality - he hated small talk, and sitting in silence was just a more comfortable option. 

But he couldn't help but eye his brother as they sat on the sofa, each holding a soggy takeout burger while the second season of _Hannibal_ played in the background. Fang wasn't even born when Kaizo had come out, but his mother had told him one night when he had been away at a junior high camp. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


_"Mom, dad." A ten-year-old Kaizo had proclaimed, sitting them both down at the dinner table while he stood up himself. His caretakers only smiled in response, though unprepared for what he would say next._

_"I'm gay," he said, with absolute confidence. Mother had raised an eyebrow, but she wasn't surprised or appalled._

_"Ah, well. So I take you like girls?" She asked, but this time she was taken aback when he shook his head._

_"No, I still like boys. It just so happens that I'm a boy too." His guardians could see - that while these announcements were made with a confident tone and look on his face, there was a tremble in his lip that he couldn't hide._

_Father only smiled, for he knew that he had done something right somewhere. If he had transitioned even without taking the trouble to tell them it wouldn't have mattered either. But his son was determined to stand his ground because he felt that it was an important truth to him. There was just something admirable in the boy wanting to speak up for himself._

_"My name is Kaizo," he said, with a sure smile now. "Call me Kaizo."_

  
  
  
  
  
  


Frankly - it had never been a big deal to Fang. 

The fact was that in Gogo Bugi this sort of thing wasn't exactly put on a spectacle as much as it was here on Earth. There were no labels. That sort of thing was more human behaviour, which he realised seemed to be extremely important. There were entire political movements, resources for educating people about non-traditional labels for gender and attraction. 

He remembered his grade school teacher, who was a rather jaunty woman who frequently talked about her wife. Athena had always made it abundantly clear she was all for anyone who wasn't a man either. She took pride in the label of a lesbian, even if that was a human concept. 

Kaizo himself was dating someone: who just so happened to be a man. 

So… why was it all still so confusing? 

He puts his burger down on his lap and pulls out his phone once more. He needed answers. 

"Oi. Finish the food before you use your phone." Kaizo's voice suddenly reached his ears, to which he quickly put it down. He scoffed quietly, for he hated being told off. 

Fang almost wanted to ask him. If he had just found himself one day and it had just fallen into place, or if it was as bewildering as it was for him right now. Because he could not answer the question the anon posed to him. Not at this very moment. 

To heck with it. It wasn't as if Fang would be embarrassing himself if he asked anyway.

"Hey, Kaizo."

"....Mmmfph?" The latter brother had stuffed the remains of his burger into his mouth, eyes still completely fixated on the screen. 

"When did you know that you were, you know. Gay." 

_"What?"_ This time he finally looked at him, with wide eyes and a bewildered expression. 

"You know. You and Ramen. Boys and people who aren't women in general." 

"Fang, if this is a way of asking that I give you a sex talk…" 

He gagged. "No, ew! I'm just asking, honest." 

For once his brother had nothing to fire back immediately. He shifted his vision back to the television, but his eyes seemed to register that he was thinking of something to say. 

"I've always known," Kaizo said simply, after a moment's deliberation. "I know humans try and make you think that it's something you choose. Don't you ever listen to that bullshit." 

"Why not?" 

"I sure as hell didn't wake up one day and said 'hey, I'll get up and kiss a fucking boy because I want to,' right? It's always been a part of me. It's stupid that they make you believe it's something you just get up and choose. You don't choose who you're attracted to."

"So.. it's just something we're all kind of born with?" 

Kaizo sighed, exasperated. "Look… it's not rocket science. I don't know what else to tell you. But I don't care whether you want to date Boboiboy or not." 

"I'm sorry?" 

The older brother raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you don't know what I know." 

Fang could only stare at him, mouth gaping open. 

Kaizo let out what sounded like a half a scoff and half a chuckle. "Man, you are stupid." 

"Wait, what are you trying to say?" 

"Nothing. Now shut up, please. I just wanna watch this." He waved him off, wagging the remote in front of him. 

Fang sunk into the sofa, processing everything that had just happened. What did Kaizo know, and why was he not aware..? He snatched his burger back up and chewed it tentatively, trying to make himself understand. 

But there was one more thing he wanted to ask. Just for the hell of it. 

"Hey, Kaizo." 

"What?" 

"Do you miss Ramen?" 

This time there was a genuine, awkward pause from the older brother whom Fang was sure that his cheeks were starting to turn pink. He coughed, and his fingers pressed the volume button up higher. 

"Yes, I do. Now leave me alone." 

Fang laughed, for it was genuine comedy to see his brother express romantic affection. "Boo, you absolute cheese! You should call him, tell him you love him and you wanna-"

"You asked a question - multiple. And I have answered to your satisfaction. _Leave. Me. Alone."_

____________

Boboiboy had to admit that he didn't hate working on weekends. 

Sure, crowds were depending on the hour. But it was somehow less taxing in contrast to operating the cafe on a weekday. It was probably the fact that he didn't have to go to school after prepping the store in the wee hours of the morning or carrying the emotional exhaustion from school to work. He genuinely loved helping Tok Aba but it had its drawbacks. 

It was a rather nice Saturday evening that was approaching. 

The clock read 4:45, and the afternoon sun was beginning to lessen its strength to ease into the evening. There were only a handful of customers and they all chose to sit by the tables in the extra field space, and they were mostly sipping on drinks and enjoying some time alone. 

Boboiboy exhaled, and let himself lean lazily against the counter. He could get used to this. The debate was finally over and done with, and even though he felt he didn't give his best shot entirely they still won. It helped that all of them felt pretty strongly about the motion. 

He closed his eyes. Maybe he could take a short snooze before Tok Aba and Ochobot got back from buying some extra supplies- 

"Hiya." 

_Oh no._

A rather familiar black-haired humanoid was approaching the bar Doc Martens and all... The very last thing he needed was here. 

He didn't verbally greet her back, but simply waved. Athena sat herself down, and for a moment there was only an awkward invisible wall wedged in-between them. She flashed him a nervous smile, tapping her painted nails on the wooden countertop. 

"Can I get a drink?" She finally asked, eyeing the menu like she was trying to avoid making eye contact. 

"Uh, sure. What do you want?" 

"Just the iced chocolate, please." 

"Coming right up." He turned around, slightly grateful it would grant him some time not to entertain whatever sort of air that they were both breathing in at the moment. 

The iced chocolate had evolved to be the more no-brainer of drinks the longer he worked as the cafe's barista. The formula was like a simple beat - Tok Aba's signature chocolate powder, hot water. Once that was done you stuffed the liquid into a cup full of ice, and topped it off with whipped cream and a lid to fasten it all together. 

He placed it on the counter once it was done, and Athena accepted it with a significant lack of enthusiasm. She placed two blue bills on the counter, and he placed them into the register wordlessly. 

"Not expecting anyone today?" The sentence comes out on pure instinct, and he genuinely wished he could learn to stop and just _think._

"What do you mean?" She asked, a confused expression on her face living there for a good second before she realized. "Oh. Fang." 

"Yeah." 

"Well, no. I came on my own accord." 

"Really?" 

Athena sighed and took another sip before continuing. "Look… I just really wanted to clear things up with you. I can't force you to like me, but-" 

"It's okay. I know." 

The confusion on her face amplified. "I'm sorry?" 

"I know about you and Fang. And it's fine with me." 

Confusion just evolved into complete bewilderment, creases in-between her eyebrows and mouth gaping open. She took an honest, good second - before eventually bursting into loud peals of laughter. 

"Huh…?" Did he say anything remotely funny? 

"You," she managed, in-between heavy breaths threatening to choke her if she wasn't careful, "think I'm trying to go out with Fang?" 

"Well, yeah?" He took a step back, absolutely puzzled. What on earth was happening? 

She finally stopped laughing for a good three seconds, letting her respiratory system reboot itself; before simply continuing to laugh again. 

"Okay… Athena," Boboiboy tried, feeling lost on the joke. "I don't get it. Why are you laughing at me." 

"Oh my god, you both are perfect for each other. For a fact that you are complete _idiots._ " There was honest stress on the word 'idiot,' which Boboiboy had to admit stung a little. 

"Okay," she finally said, losing the laughter and taking a sip of her drink to recuperate. "Let's get one thing straight: I am not." 

_What…?_ "I… I don't understand." 

"Me neither. At least we can agree on that. I'm genuinely distraught that you would think I would pursue Fang of all people." She giggled again, the safety pins shaking along with her. 

"So you and Fang aren't…?" 

Athena pulled out what looked like a phone from her pocket. It wasn't an Earth-manufactured model, but it still resembled a phone nonetheless. She unlocked it and opened up an application. 

That was when a hologram of a picture flashed in front of him - depicting another humanoid, who had seemingly dyed pink hair and dressed similarly to Athena. They were smiling brightly at the camera, flashing up a peace sign. 

"That," she said, letting herself smile as big as she could, "is my girlfriend. They're cute, aren't they?" 

_Girlfriend._

Boboiboy let the word bang in his head as loud as it could, trying to register it. 

"But… I saw you holding his hand." 

She scoffed. "And that automatically means I like him?" 

"Well…." 

"Boboiboy, I promise you. I do not like your potential boyfriend. We've always been like that - or at least I have." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I just like physical affection. It's my way of telling people I love them. And if they're comfortable with it, of course. I wouldn't deliberately go out of my way to invade someone else's boundaries." 

Oh god. As it turns out he had been the jerk this entire time. 

She laughed again, to which he felt he deserved it. "Look, Boboiboy. If that wasn't enough to convince you, I'll just tell you this: I am a complete and utter lesbian. The thought of even seeing Fang romantically is repulsive. it scares me. I love my girlfriend too much for that." 

He placed his face in his hands, letting the heat from his face conduct itself into his palms. It was beginning to dawn on him how much of a dickwad he had been to Athena, all because of his jealousy. 

"I am so sorry," he managed his entire body on fire. "I just… I had no idea." 

"That's okay," she replied, a kinder smile on her lips. "Having a crush makes you do dumb things, I get it." 

He groaned, burying his face onto the countertop. "That obvious, huh." 

"Oh, _honey_." 

"Though I can understand why you jumped to that conclusion," she said, as a matter-of-factly. She pressed a button on the device and the hologram disappeared, taking her partner with it. 

"What do you mean?" 

"He wasn't always like that," she said, almost wistfully. "He was a lively kid as far as I remember. Always smiling and laughing. But after what happened to our planet… I can't say I blame him." 

Fang had never really talked about his home planet. Now that he was thinking about it, he always seemed pretty reluctant to talk about his past and rarely discussed it. 

"What happened? To your planet?" Boboiboy asked. He had to admit it felt wrong, having himself prod into something really sensitive to both of them. 

Athena shrugged as if to minimise the gravity of what she was going to say. "Our home was destroyed. I don't know how else to put it. In one day an entire planet just… sort of fell, just like that. Because a bad person was out for greed and stopped at nothing to get it."

She was being careful with the details, like spelling everything out entirely could still hurt her. The usual passion she had was gone, dimming itself at the thought of what happened to her home planet. 

"Fang and his brother took it the hardest. And then I never saw them after they transferred to TEMPUR-A. Maybe one day he'll be ready to talk about it. But even just hanging with him these past few weeks made me understand how much it affected him, kinda." 

Boboiboy couldn't say anything, for everything was genuinely a lot to take in. And because it did explain a fraction of why Fang behaved the way he did, and why it was so hard for him to express his vulnerability with the gang. It also explained why she was around him all the time lately, which he felt guilty for thinking otherwise. 

"Anyway!" she suddenly exclaimed, the outburst making him jump. "I'm sorry. That was depressing." 

"No, it's okay," Boboiboy quickly countered. 

"And if you really wanna know," she said, so excited to feed him this next piece of information that he could have sworn that there were stars in her eyes. "He talks about you non-stop." 

"He does?" 

"Yes," she laughed again. "Honestly! You would not believe how much this boy has to say about you. He told me about how you two met, and how you both hated each other when he first got here." 

Boboiboy blushed, not quite believing what he was hearing. Fang? Talking about him? "Wow….I didn't know." 

"Well, for the record, I don't think he does either." She took a long sip from her drink this time like all the talk was finally beginning to make her thirsty. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well…. Honestly, if you ask me I think he likes you too." 

What? "No… come on. You're just saying that." 

Athena's eyebrows furrowed. "No, I'm not. But I think he's just confused. He just needs a push to get there." 

"Please… I don't think he likes me back. We're just… best friends." 

"Shut up! Sure, it's hard to read him sometimes. But I've seen the way he looks at you, Boboiboy. His face lights up when he talks about you. And when you're not looking there's just… this face that he has that screams _GOD I AM SO IN LOVE._ "

Boboiboy only blinked. There was no way. No absolute way that Fang liked him back. It seemed too far-fetched that someone else could return his feelings. 

Athena only sighed, toying with her straw and jabbing it into the ice. "That was enough for me to know. There's no way he doesn't like you." 

He didn't answer, though he knew there were a thousand things he wanted to say.

"Look," she finally said. "I'm not here to tell you what to do with your feelings. I'm just reporting on my side of things, and you don't have to believe me."

"It's not that I don't. It's just… kind of surprising is all." 

"Life often is, isn't it?" Athena beamed, and that's when she reached out and patted his head. Which surprised him just a little, but it was a sweet gesture nonetheless.

"Anyway… I'm glad we cleared the air. Because I like you, Boboiboy. I'd be really sad if I had to leave Earth knowing you didn't," she said. 

Boboiboy smiled apologetically. "I like you too, Athena. I'm sorry about the way I've been acting." 

"It's all in the past now! Plus I get why you were, so it's fine." She suddenly got up, dusting imaginary dust off her jeans. 

"Gotta run?" 

"Yeah. Promised the girlfriend I'd call them soon." 

Aw. Though she hadn't explained much about her relationship they did seem quite the cute couple. "Have fun."

"'Course I will. I hope you work things out with Fang." 

"Uh, no promises." 

She stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry playfully. "Whatever! You're both dorks. Thanks for the drink by the way." 

"No problem." 

"See you around, Boboiboy." 

  
——————

  
Fang left the question unanswered. 

Because for the moment real life suddenly seemed a lot more important. Like when he realised he liked the way Boboiboy drifted off in class, a hand on his chin and how he wasn't even subtle about looking out the window. The sun that was close to the equator was exceptionally bright, and his brown eyes looked like they were dipped in gold when its rays hit just right. 

Huh, he thought, as he stared down at his papers. Had he always been that attentive to people? 

"To the disciple with the purple hair, if you're going to keep ignoring my desperate attempts at calling your name you'll be standing for the rest of the period." 

Oh god. There were not-so-subtle sniggering emitted from his classmates, and soon Fang found Mr Papa standing in front of him with his cane. Tapping his feet and his arms folded, waiting for an answer. 

He quickly scanned the board, and immediately worked out the question. 

"The answer is fifteen." 

_____________

Athena didn't show after school. 

It was a slight surprise, given that Fang had gotten used to her waiting for him unprompted. But he hadn't found the initiative to text her, and it would be odd to ask given the day had already ended. 

Even Boboiboy seemed a little thrown off by her absence, finding that the trio was a trio once more. "Athena's not coming?" 

"Um, no. I guess not." 

"Looks like it's just us men again today," Gopal said, to which Fang swore imaginary sunglasses were on his face at this weird sense of bravado. 

Fang rolled his eyes. "Barely." 

"Let's do something today!" Gopal exclaimed, like the latter's absence had somehow liberated them. "It's Friday!" 

"Come on, Boboiboy. Let's do something," he continued, giving the shorter boy a good shove with his arm and bumping into Fang. He found Boboiboy being forcibly jostled onto him, leaving no more space in-between them. 

For a fraction of a second, the back of their palms brushed against each other, and he felt his pinky wrap around Boboiboy's own. 

"Sorry," the orange-capped boy suddenly muttered, his cheeks with spots pink and pulling his hand away. Immediately he imprisoned his hands in a fist as soon as he had realised what happened, stretching it back out into a palm after a few seconds. 

"No, it's…" _It's okay? Did I mean to do that? Did you want to hold my hand?_

Fang was a usually careful person. He didn't think of himself as impulsive. Being strategic had gotten him through what had been a very rocky road of life thus far.

But this time he chose to just _do_ \- and that was instinctively grabbing Boboiboy's hand and filling the gaps between his fingers with his. 

It would seem Boboiboy was slightly shocked at this gesture, at a loss for words and the pink evolving into red. But he didn't let go, though his fingers were still in an open palm. 

Gopal however, didn't seem to notice. "So what do you guys wanna do? I wanna play video games." Before any of them could answer, the boy gasped. "We could play video games! Boboiboy, you have PZ5 on your console, right?" 

"Yes, but-" 

"No stops! Let's go to your place!" 

"Hey, wait up! I still have to ask Tok Aba if-" 

"Boboiboy's house it is!" Gopal exclaimed, blinded by his sheer desire to be able to enjoy a Friday evening with his friends. Boboiboy sighed, as the three trudged on to head to the park. 

Fang could hardly believe he was still somehow holding Boboiboy's hand, ignoring all intrusive thoughts about thinking twice or just letting go. His back felt like it was one with the afternoon sun, but he wasn't completely embarrassed. 

But he gripped it for good measure like it would tell him something he didn't have to say. Because it felt right, somehow. 

And he was surprised to know that Boboiboy was filling in the gaps properly, securing them together. 

__________

An afternoon of games evolved plans to an impromptu sleepover of sorts, given that Boboiboy still had to help out at the cafe for the rest of the day. Fang wasn't surprised given they had barged in on them on pretty late notice. 

This only made Gopal more excited, because it had been years since they'd spent time over at Boboiboy's house. 

_Boboiboy's house._

Fang had been here before, once. Tok Aba had invited him to dinner when he had returned to Earth from space. He'd been reluctant at first because he didn't want to impose. But that waned away when the old man had brought up carrot soup, in which all rationale disappeared. 

So why was he feeling so nervous about being here again for the night? 

He felt his chest rate rise, as he pressed the doorbell and held his breath. The tote bag he had brought that held a change of clothes and a toothbrush suddenly felt like it weighed a ton on his shoulder. 

The old lock unbolted, and the door opened for Fang to find Tok Aba showing off his usual warm smile. 

"Fang!" He greeted, to which Fang simply smiled politely, feeling all sorts of weird things at the prospect of being alone with Boboiboy’s guardian. 

"Welcome, welcome. You're here early! Boboiboy said you might be." He did? Fang felt his cheeks flush again, just at the thought of him possibly being spoken of. Tok Aba ushered him in, and soon enough he was standing in their living room. 

The old man suddenly shook his head. "We can only hope Gopal can try to follow your habits… someday." 

Fang chuckled. "Absolutely no bets on that, Tok. Though I think he'll be on time, given tonight is about video games." 

He sighed, his chest heaving in slowly and carefully. "So I've heard. Boboiboy's in his room. You can go up, leave your stuff there. Come back down for dinner once Gopal's here." 

"Alright, thank you." 

  
  
  
  
  


He knocked tentatively on the wooden door on the second floor, wondering if this was a good idea. 

Fang couldn't determine where all these weird feelings towards the boy were coming from. From what happened in class, the hand-holding, everything. Suddenly Boboiboy felt like a new person, even though he had known him for years. 

Was this going to be okay? 

The door opened after three knocks, presenting a rather cap-less Boboiboy with a soft smile on his face and dressed in a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. Fang had forgotten that he had a white streak in his hair, given how he made sure he was never seen without his cap off. Which was so… 

So what? 

"Hey," Boboiboy said, and that word was enough to send his nervous system into oblivion. 

"Hey. So um, your grandfather sent me up here?" He shook his tote off his shoulder and held it up with his hand like he was presenting it for evidence. "He said I could leave my stuff here." 

Boboiboy smirked. "Yeah, of course. You both are gonna sleep in my room anyway." 

_Sleep in his… room?_ "Oh?" 

Boboiboy looked at him with his big brown eyes, confused. "Yeah? Both of you wouldn't fit on the couch downstairs. Come on in." 

He pushed the door open to reveal his chamber, letting him in. 

The general antique feel of the entire house made it feel like the room used to be an attic, the walls slanting in above the windows exactly like a knee wall. His desk positioned by the window, strewn with papers and a few small compartments to keep small things. A styrofoam solar system hung on the ceiling, in perfect order. A large wooden clipboard on the wall, vandalised by post-it notes, photographs of friends and family, and newspaper clippings of his past achievements. A rack was conveniently placed next to his door, where two prayer mats resided. 

"Wow," Fang whistled, a little amazed at how authentic the room seemed to be. "Real cosy." 

"Yup. Tok Aba did most of the decoration back then."

"Wow." Fang could only imagine the strength he might have needed to paste all the little planets on the walls as with the ceiling. 

He chuckled. "Yeah. The dude's a miracle worker." 

Silence suddenly fell over the two of them, falling short of small talk. Fang could have sworn his heart was compensating for the lack of volume, which he felt incredibly peculiar about. _There's nothing to be nervous about. He's your best friend._

Fang opened his mouth, though he wasn't sure what he wanted to say - when he felt a soft nuzzling on his bare feet. 

"Hey!" He immediately picked the brown cat up, to which the feline mewled enthusiastically, the little bell around her neck making little ringing sounds. 

Fang cradled the cat, who happily obliged for a cuddle. Boboiboy let himself show a rather shy grin at the sight. "She likes you." 

The bespectacled boy allowed himself to plant his lips lightly on the cat's furry head and smiled himself. "What's her name again?" 

"Mimi." 

"Where'd you get the name from?" 

Boboiboy suddenly coughed, like he was embarrassed. "I, uh. I liked the Usamimi Friends franchise." 

Fang raised an eyebrow. "Liked…?" 

The boy groaned. "Fine. I still really like them! They're cute!" 

Fang looked at Boboiboy, a little in awe and a little in surprise. 

Boboiboy looked at Fang, a little in embarrassment and a little jest. 

And then they both laughed, almost in relief that the ice was broken. He wasn't even aware it had been there, and Fang was starting to feel a little more nervous that it was in the first place. 

Boboiboy's phone suddenly beeped a little bell sound. To match Mimi? He wondered. Or perhaps it was just a default setting. 

"Gopal's here," Boboiboy said, looking up from his screen. 

"Guess we should head down," Fang said, as he placed the cat slowly onto the ground. 

Immediately the feline ran out of the room and into the abyss of the world outside of the room, as if the moments they had just spent together had been meaningless. 

__________

He had his eyes closed, but he wasn't asleep. 

It was around eleven-thirty, and Boboiboy was trying his best to ignore a few things: his sweaty palms, a flushed face and a chest that was beating so hard it might as well have burst out of his system and ran a marathon. 

Gopal was already sound asleep, snoring away contentedly. Fang was lying on his side, face turned away from him. His body was completely still, and he seemed to have already drifted to sleep. 

He hated it. It wasn't as if Fang was lying right next to him, what with his bed a literal wall separating them. He wanted to be able to calm down, to fall asleep just as easily as he did. Like nothing mattered. 

Boboiboy exhaled, a large outtake of breath that deflated his chest. An arm on his eyes, a desperate attempt at blocking out the world. Think of something else. 

A sudden image of Athena shot itself into his mind. 

_If you ask me, I think he likes you too._

Did he? He seemed to be… completely normal the entire time they'd been playing video games. Laughing, joking around. Like they always have. There were only two possibilities he could rule out, and that was 1. Fang was exceptionally good at hiding his feelings 2. Athena was pulling his leg, and that it wasn't true. 

But then again… she genuinely didn't seem like the type to just lie about that. 

He flopped onto his pillow, burying his face and supplying his nose with a lack of oxygen. This was extremely frustrating. And there was nothing more he wanted than for all of it to go away. 

Though that wasn't possible. His nose being scrunched up against the pillow was beginning to compress it and was starting to feel uncomfortable. He returned to air, eyes shut and flopping to his side to face the wall.

Suddenly he heard shuffling. Careful footsteps, like they were trying to make sure no one heard them, He squeezed his eyes tight, out of fear that he might be found out.

The wooden door creaked open, and the footsteps quickened. Eventually, the door closed back up, a soft thud as the mechanisms found themselves back in place. With the door shut they eventually dissipated, and Boboiboy sat up. 

Only Gopal was left behind, Fang's spare sheets empty and abandoned. 

__________

The window had provided a look into the night above, the stars in abundance and a full moon outside. But nothing beat immersing oneself in the fresh air, the night cold and the soundscapes of a sleepy neighbourhood filling Fang's ears. 

He couldn't sleep. He never had issues sleeping, but Fang knew that something was wrong. It was impossible, with the fact that it was Boboiboy's room. For some reason that just made all the difference. 

The porch wasn't so bad, though. In contrast to the small apartment he lived in with Kaizo, it was a margin of difference to be staying in such a big house, the concrete of the porch floor cold under his feet. The fact that he could sit there all night felt exciting. 

But more importantly…

What was going on with him and Boboiboy? 

The evening was fine, but for the first time, he was second-guessing every movement he made. They joked around, laughed. Just like they did any other day. Only this time it felt like there was a knot in his stomach, tightening with each time Boboiboy flashed a smile at him. Every time he had reached out to give him a nudge suddenly apprehensive, like he was afraid to touch him. 

Fang wondered if all of it had shown. If he had acted any different, and what Boboiboy had been thinking if he were. 

And what if it did? 

He opened up his phone, and his fingers moved towards the CuriousCattus site on their own. 

_What's your sexuality?_

Fang still hadn't answered it. Because now he was deliberating with himself for that answer, with everything that his mind and body were starting to reveal to him. 

He liked girls, that was for sure. But there was a chance… 

… that he was currently in the process of falling. Falling for a boy. 

Fang wants to be surprised. Fang wants to be awash with complete bewilderment, a shocking revelation and rethink of his entire identity. 

But there isn't much. Like it had always been there, and he had just failed to take notice of it up till now. Whatever he felt for Boboiboy was still peculiar and made his stomach churn in a weird yet _nice_ way - but he wasn't exactly scared of it. 

He exited the site and found himself typing a message. 

**I think I might like boys.**

The reply was almost instant. And it was simple.

**tell him**

_____________

Boboiboy knew he was being a little creepy. 

But he found himself awake this time, and he couldn't help but go after him. Fang was, in fact, not asleep at all.

He decided to follow his instincts, which led him to the main door leading to the porch. He opened it tentatively, and sure enough, Fang was there. He seemed to be texting someone and was completely unaware he had company. 

"Fang?" 

The boy jumped slightly, taken by surprise. "Gah!" 

Boboiboy recoiled, gripping the doorknob for dear life. "Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" 

Fang turned around, but he wasn't angry. He shook his head and chuckled softly. "It's okay. Did I wake you?" 

_No, I was awake the entire time because you don't know how insanely distracting you are._ "I did hear the door open. You can't sleuth around cause it's... pretty old. I always hear the creaking when Tok Aba comes in, so…" 

Fang gave a little wave, dismissing him. His hands were bare, the lack of gloves an unusual sight. "Sorry. I just wanted some fresh air." 

"It's okay…" He trailed off, given he didn't have anything good to say. Neither did Fang have anything to apologise for. 

Fang patted the space next to him, which surprised Boboiboy in turn. But he found himself obliging and parked himself there. He felt his back grow hot at the lack of space, the proximity between them incredibly dangerous territory. 

"So… rough night?" He tried, a sorry attempt at conversation. 

The bespectacled boy shrugged. "I don't know. I tried to fall asleep, but Gopal's snoring is kinda distracting." 

"He is a big snorer." 

Fang chuckled again, though there was nothing remotely amusing by that statement. 

For a few moments once more there was nothing either of them could say. Boboiboy seemed to notice it was happening a lot more, where their conversations just seemed to head straight into a sea of awkwardness. Like both of them were being careful about what they wanted to say to each other. 

Fang had his eyes up in the sky, the reflection of the stars and clouds bouncing off the lenses of his glasses. There was a glint in his eye like he was genuinely observing every little thing in the boundless dark sphere above them. 

And Boboiboy couldn’t help but think about the fact that he was beautiful. 

Everything about him was so _beautiful,_ it was almost insulting. Like he was moulded carefully before whatever high deity spoke him into existence. Each crevice of his face clean and bright, the wrinkles in between his eyes and tips of his lips almost majestic. 

"What are you thinking about?" Boboiboy asked. 

Fang took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. Rough motions back and forth, a threat to his lashes. "I don't know. A lot of things." 

"Like what?" 

He didn't answer immediately, which made Boboiboy rethink even asking the question,. "Sorry. You don't have to talk if you don't want to." 

Fang suddenly placed his glasses on by his left and used his right hand to give him a shove. "Stop apologising for everything." 

He opened his mouth, but immediately closed it knowing he was probably going to do it again. 

The now non-bespectacled boy placed his arms behind him, letting his palms carry his torso's weight. He exhaled, letting all the suppressed breaths out of his system before he could speak. "I guess home is one thing." 

"Home?" 

"Yeah. The sky sort of reminded me of space. It's… been a while." 

Boboiboy didn't know if it was okay for him to ask. Especially that he had found out through Athena. But if he was talking about it… 

Before he could say anything, Fang continued. 

"I dunno. I guess it's just been weird, with Athena around and everything. She's made me wonder about a lot of things. Our planet, and everything else that happened after." 

"What do you mean?" 

Fang looked at him and simply smiled. "Never mind. It's hard for me to explain. You're just lucky you have a nice home, Boboiboy." 

"Oh. Well, thank you, Fang." 

The purple-haired boy suddenly stood up, eyes still fixated at the sky. Boboiboy found himself scrambling to follow suit, even though he had no idea what was happening. A gust of wind blew, a chilling sensation on his hot skin. 

Space in between them was beginning to close once they stood up. Had he always been taller? Boboiboy wondered, as his eyes drifted up and he found a pair of crimson ones staring into his own. This was... too close. Anything he did beyond this point could easily be a huge mistake, and nothing between them would ever be the same after this. 

"Fang," he breathed. His name is a saving grace, supplying the blood into his lungs. 

_I like you._

_I've always liked you. So so much. It almost hurts sometimes. But it's also the best feeling in the world. Because it just feels so right. You're smart, you're brave, and you know how to be there for me._

_And I've always wondered if you felt the same. It's been agonizing because I can't ever seem to suss that out for myself. I'm just an idiot._

_But right now I don't think I care._

But he doesn't say all that. 

Instead, he dives headfirst. Boboiboy knows it's completely selfish, but he leans in until space in-between is no longer a concept. There are no more chances because he'd never been more certain about something ever. He closes his eyes, and carefully his lips have found Fang's. 

Boboiboy had never kissed anyone. He had nothing else to compare to what was happening. As time went by the daydreaming had evolved into wishing, and now it was just... _there._ But kissing him - right here, right now - felt like the most natural thing in the world. And he was certain Fang's lips could not be more real; chapped, pursed like they were being cautious. But he was kissing him back, his cold hands finding their way behind his neck and holding him like he was fragile. 

It just felt like he was kissing a boy. 

A real, live boy. 

Finally. 

"S...Sorry," Boboiboy gasped when Fang finally pulled away minutes or hours or entire days later. "I…" He trailed off, licking his puffy lips and letting himself run his hands through Fang's hair. "I've always wanted to do that." 

"Don't apologise," Fang said, his voice dropping to a whisper. He placed his forehead onto him, his chest going in and out, still trying to catch his breath. "Don't you ever apologise for anything." 

_________________

Fang had no idea what post-first kisses entailed. 

He had woken up alone in Boboiboy's room, the boy's bed empty with blankets folded and bolsters arranged nicely against the wall. Gopal's spare mattress had also been taken away, as did the pillows and blanket he had slept with. 

Oh god. Did he tell all of it to _Gopal?_

Fang immediately got up, charging outside the room and raced downstairs. The memories of what had happened the previous night racing hurtling through his mind and everything was suddenly embarrassing. Oh god oh god oh _god_ . They had _kissed_ last night. There was no time to think. He had to- 

"Good morning, Fang!" 

Tok Aba was there, as was everyone else - namely Ochobot, pouring milk into a glass and offered a waved at him. As were Gopal, munching gratefully a piece of toast. 

And of course, the boy himself, who appeared freshened up and sprightly with his cap back on. He had a smile on his face, in a seemingly good mood. 

"Morning, Fang," Ochobot greeted, flashing his pixelated smile through his bright blue eyes. Tok Aba motioned for him to sit down next to Boboiboy, who just so happened to have an empty seat next to him. 

"Hey," he muttered, unsure of what was happening. Hopefully, no one had any underlying plots. 

"We didn't wake you up cause you looked so peaceful," Gopal said, chowing down the remains of what looked like kaya on said toast. Fang raised an eyebrow, sceptical. The boy sighed like he was insulted he wasn't believed in. "I'm serious!" 

"Alright…" 

"Help yourself if you want," Boboiboy said, in his usual cheerful tone. Though there were pink spots on his cheeks, which for whatever reason was endearing. He sat himself down and reached out for a piece of bread from the packet on the table. 

“Gopal, pass him the butterknife,” Tok Aba instructed, but the boy opposite merely narrowed his eyes.

“I think he can do it himself,” he said, receiving a light slap on the head from the old man. Boboiboy chuckled. “I’ll get it,” he offered, reaching out for the utensil which eventually found its way to Fang. 

He wanted to say thanks, but his mouth couldn’t open. Nonetheless his palm accepted the knife graciously, and their fingers brushed against each other lightly - resulting in both boys blushing furiously at the miniscule gesture. 

Every little act suddenly seemed big, full of intent and significance. It was like there was nothing and everything to hide, as if each of them were broken jugs spilling with so much _feeling._

It was new, and absolutely strange. Especially that things had changed for him quite quickly, and he was still processing it all. But Fang had to admit he was liking it. 

Ochobot however, was not having it. “Why are you both acting so weird today?” The AI fluttered over to Boboiboy and poked at his cheek. “That’s awfully red.” 

“Nothing,” Fang whistled, which elicited an eyebrow raise and a look that looked like _you can’t fool me_ from Boboiboy’s guardian. Fang simply continued to paint the toast with the brown spread, indifferent to their reactions. 

Gopal sighed, exasperated. “Weirdos.” 

________________

  
  


Despite being the last one to arrive Gopal had been the one to leave first. Though Boboiboy wasn’t entirely surprised, given how strict his dad was. It was a miracle he’d even managed to wangle the sleepover idea in such a short amount of time. 

He sat on the sofa, staring at a blank screen. Mimi had been out in the yard, but let herself back in and now she was sitting on his lap, purring. Boboiboy stroked her fur, as he thought about what would happen next. 

They had kissed. 

That simple sentence was almost life-changing. He had done it, and Fang had kissed him back. One kiss had led to ten, probably even more. Frankly he had lost count and let himself loose in whatever had possessed him last night. And it meant the world. 

But what had it meant for Fang? 

He brushed a finger against his lip, as if to bring back the sensation that he had experienced. All of a sudden he was really beginning to wonder. If Fang had just kissed him back because he had. Or if it was just like Athena had said. 

That he liked him back. 

And he knew he would have to ask. Otherwise it would just be another bout of prolonging the unspoken. 

There were footsteps coming from behind him, and sure enough it was the boy himself - the usually purple hair disheveled and wet, a towel slung around his shoulders. He had a block purple shirt that seemed to be two sizes bigger on him, paired with simple blue jeans that were tucked in on the ends. Perhaps those were hand-me-downs, he mused. 

But even then, when he wasn’t playing up the popular/perfect charade. Not giving a damn about what he looked like, oversized tshirts and all. He still found a way to be the most alluring person in the room. 

“Hey,” Boboiboy said, and Fang looked at him and smiled. 

“Hello,” he replied, drying his hair furiously with the towel. He approached the sofa, and Mimi lifted her head up as soon as she detected his presence. 

Fang looked at him, and then the television. “Interesting programme going on?” 

“Shhh!” He brought a finger to his lips, jokingly shushing him. “Can’t you see I’m keeping up with the morning news?” 

The bespectacled boy let out a _pft,_ and smirked. He then settled himself in the space next to him, like it was something they did everyday. Mimi, who had been aware of him since he had arrived, launched herself from Boboiboy’s lap to his. He accepted her graciously, peppering her with kisses and rubbing her head gently. 

Boboiboy pressed his palms together, and inhaled. _Now or never._

“So,” he began, his heart already threatening to begin blasting off at a dangerously high pace. “About yesterday.” 

Fang stopped stroking the feline. “Yep...Yesterday.” 

“I… I have to ask. Whether you meant it.” 

“And _I_ have to ask: Why do you doubt me?” 

That was an excellent question. Why _did_ he doubt him? Was it the pent-up insecurities and frustrations over the past couple of months? 

Fang suddenly reached out for his face. His hands were bare, and Boboiboy felt his palm on his skin. A finger stroking his cheek carefully. It would be lying if he didn’t feel like melting right there and then. 

The purple-haired boy suddenly inched forward, and pressed a tentative but fleeting kiss to Boboiboy’s lips. 

_God._ It took all his strength not to surge back forward and press them against him like they couldn’t ever do it again. But he wanted answers. “Did you?” He whispered against his chin, as their lips parted and he let out a sigh. 

Fang suddenly smirked. “I did, Boboiboy. It was right there and then… when you did it last night. I meant it, because I realised: I’ve grown to really, _really_ like you.” 

_I really like you._

The things he would give just hear that over and over again. 

“I mean,” Fang suddenly started. “I always have. As in, I liked you… as a person. But then lately I’ve just been so confused, and then I realised maybe I didn’t like you as a friend.” His crimson eyes suddenly widened. “Wait! That sounded bad. As in-” 

He was cut off, by the sounds of Boboiboy’s own voice chortling. Fang’s expression turned sheepish, and he smiled shyly. 

Boboiboy took his hand, and Fang wrapped it around his tightly. “I like you too,” Boboiboy whispered. “So much.” 

“I guess that settles it.” 

_______________________

**_So… what are we?_ **

**Well.**

**That depends on what you want to be.**

**_Haha_ **

**_Smartass_ **

**Of course.**

**_As in_ **

**_I want to know where we go_ **

**_from here_ **

**_if we’re on the same page_ **

**_Or not_ **

**Yes, I’ll be your boyfriend.**

**_Oh_ **

**_I meant to get there actually_ **

**You took too long. We’re boyfriends now**

**_:^)_ **

**:) x**

  
  


_________

  
  


“You’re leaving?” 

Athena nodded, her safety pins bobbing along with her head. She took a sip out of her iced chocolate, like she was preparing to launch into a monologue. But she simply smiled as her lip released the plastic straw. “Yeah,” she simply stated, giving the cup a tentative shake. 

“Let us send you off!” Boboiboy suggested, as he approached the counter with a few trays in hand filled with used cups and emptied plastic. The humanoid simply shook her head. 

“It’s alright. Sara is picking me up. Besides, I’ve hung around you guys so much….” The mention of her partner’s name brought an immediate wider smile to her face, the sides of her face crinkling to dimples. Boboiboy had his back turned as tended to cleaning the dirty kitchenware, but glanced back with a knowing look of his own. 

Fang on the other hand, had to admit he was a little confused. “Sara?” He asked, the name not ringing the right bells. 

Athena scoffed. “You have the worst memory.” 

Ying, who had been sitting next to him scoffed herself. “Her girlfriend.” 

Fang could only shrug, which elicited sighs of exasperation from Athena, Ying and Yaya. “Nevermind,” Athena said, obviously not willing to put up with his ignorance. 

“I wish I had a girlfriend,” Yaya murmured, to which Gopal made an audible grumbling sound. 

“Yet she doesn’t talk to girls,” Gopal muttered, receiving a slug in the arm from the hijabi. 

“Own time, own pace, Yaya,” Athena giggled, to which she smiled sheepishly. “You’ll get there when you can.” 

“You already have a girlfriend, so not sure that counts coming from you,” Ying chimed in, her glasses glistening in the afternoon sun. The humanoid shrugged coyly, as if to remark _well, who’s to say?_

“Hey, uh… speaking of time and pace,” Fang announced, in a more serious tone. Boboiboy, who had long since finished his cleaning duties and had been observing his friends silently came to attention. Straightening his posture he returned the sentiment with a soft, conscious look, as if to say _you can go on ahead._

Though for good measure he gripped Fang’s gloved hand tight across the counter. 

“Boboiboy and I… we’re sort of together now.” He had planned his script, but the sentences that were coming out of his mouth were less than coherent. But they had decided they would be honest, and he was willing to power through this. 

“And I’m, um. I just wanted to tell you all that I’m bisexual. It’s probably not that important to you guys, but I just thought I’d be honest. Cause I like the label and everything…. So. Yeah.” 

Gopal only smirked. “If it’s important to you, then it’s important to all of us, Fang.” 

“Yeah!” Yaya added. “We’re really happy you trust us enough to tell us.” 

“But shit, thank goodness you two finally got together,” Gopal heaved dramatically, eliciting an eyebrow raise from Boboiboy. “The sexual tension was killing me.” 

“You _knew?”_ Boboiboy gasped, his brown eyes widening. 

Ying coughed. “Everyone did.” 

The orange-capped boy let go of Fang’s hand to bury his face in his hands in embarrassment. “Dear god.” 

“I told you,” Athena said, placing her cup on the table to fold her arms into her chest. “You sucked at whatever the concept of being subtle was.” 

“I mean, I had no idea,” Fang interjected, though the sentiment received an eye roll from Ying. 

“You’re dumb, so of course you didn’t.” 

“Come on. I’m not that oblivious,” the purple-haired boy argued, casting a pleading look to Yaya - who even at this stage chose to value honesty over niceties as she shook her head.

“You _were_ too slow on the upkeep,” she muttered. “It got a little frustrating.” 

“But despite the pain we just didn’t want to impose,” Yaya added, which Fang felt he couldn’t fault her for. The prospect of being in their position would have blown a fuse, and he was rarely ever the levelheaded one. 

“How about you, Boboiboy? Do you have any labels you want us to know of?” Ying asked, to which Boboiboy’s embarrassment evolved to a more questioning look on his face. 

“Well, I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “But right now I think bisexual is pretty nice for me too.” 

Well. Fang certainly hadn’t been expecting _that,_ but it was a nice surprise nonetheless. He couldn’t resist letting himself over the counter and giving the capped boy a kiss on the cheek, which increased in temperature upon his lips’ impact. 

Gopal made an exaggerated gagging noise. “O _kay_. We’re satisfied with the significant lack of oblivious sexual tension, but PDA is no go.” 

“What?” Fang smirked, amused by the public reception. Even Athena faked a vomiting motion. “So I can’t kiss my boyfriend?” 

“You can, just maybe not in front of us,” Ying sighed. “Some of us are still single. Don’t rub it in.” 

“Actually, I’m on board with the no-PDA rule thing,” Yaya interjected, which elicited a hearty laugh from everyone. 

In the midst of all the laughter Fang suddenly felt his phone vibrate from his pocket, prompting him to take it out. As the lockscreen came to life a notification came from CuriousCattus, displaying yet another question. 

_“So have you figured it out yet?”_

He chuckled to himself, for the anonymous person just seemed to know when and where they needed to be. Fang looked over to his friends - and his boyfriend who also happened to be his best friend.. Everyone was just chatting now, enjoying each other’s presences before Athena would take her leave. And even then he knew that they would keep her safe in their hearts long after she was going to be gone. 

**_I have. Though I feel like you already knew that, anon._ **

His fingers hover over the keyboard, deliberating. He knew that wasn’t all he had to say to them. 

**_But personally I think I got lucky. No, I am lucky. I hope you know that if you might be figuring things out yourself you have all the time in the world to decide when that happens. And when you do, you have people that love and support you for that._ **

**_Because frankly, that’s all you need. I hope you get to be yourself too, and be proud of it._ **

“Fang? You alright?” 

As soon as he pressed enter Fang looked up, to find Boboiboy’s soft smile looking right at him. His brown hair peeking out of his cap, golden eyes glistening in the sun. He had left the counter and was standing right next to him, wanting to be in close proximity with his friends despite the workday. 

And he couldn’t resist pressing his own smile against his, his gloved hand bringing his waist closer. His beloved smelled faintly of chocolate, and all things dear and sweet. 

“Never better,” he hummed as they broke away, the rest of the world a blur. “I just finally had the answers.” 

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
